Biosecurity staff are on-site today at the local Manurewa Farmers’ Market.

The next email update will occur tomorrow (Monday) at ~2 pm.

MPI Update - Tau Fly Detection 2016 - Saturday 23 January 2016

Following on from yesterday’s email notification of a Tau Fly Detection, the General Situation is as follows:

No further Tau Flies have been detected. The total remains as 1 male Tau Fly detected.

95 additional surveillance traps will have been deployed by the end of today in the Zone A. Additional traps for Zone B will be completed by end of Sunday.

Trading partners including South Korea and Japan have been informed or are in process of being informed. Feedback has been minimal and no adverse reaction at this stage.

The Controlled Area Notice (CAN) was updated yesterday removing Tomatoes and Citrus from the host list as a result of scientific assessment and discussion with overseas colleagues.

Movement controls within the Controlled Area (Zones A and B) are in place for all host material including pumpkin, melon, cucumber, capsicum, zucchini, eggplants, beans, papaya, mangoes and passionfruit (see the Controlled Area Notice for the full list). These restrictions will be in place for at least 2 weeks. A movement control permit can be obtained via 0800 80 99 66.

A generic insect proofing procedure has been developed for use by MPI Approved Organisations (MAOs) and MPI authorised Independent Verification Agencies (IVAs). These generic risk mitigation procedures are available for immediate adoption and implementation within existing phytosanitary security procedures (contact your IVA).

All exporters (includes both MPI approved and those not approved) transiting host material through the Controlled Area (Zones A and B) will be required to obtain a movement control permit, notify their IVA and follow the generic MPI insect pest proofing procedure.

Any updates on this detection will be available on the MPI website: http://www.mpi.govt.nz/protection-and-response/responding/alerts/tau-fly/. This also includes a link to a map of the Controlled Area (Zones A & B) and the Controlled Area Notice that includes the host list. We recommend this is checked regularly. MPI will keep IVAs updated directly with any key changes.

Refer below for the most recent media update.

Refer to the attached PDF of an information poster summarising the fruit and vegetable that can or cannot leave the Controlled Area. Download this below.

We are in the process of updating the industry stakeholder list to those most relevant for Tau Fly Detection 2016. The amended list will be used from tomorrow (Sunday). If you do not receive tomorrow’s update but want to stay on the list, please let me know.

Tau fly - MPI Media Update - Saturday 23 January

It’s been a busy time for MPI and AQ staff since they swung in to action following the find of a single male Tau fly on Thursday afternoon.

“MPI is working to find out if there are more Tau flies out there. Within 48 hours of the detection our teams will have set out 95 additional traps in the A Zone, the 200m area directly around where the fly was found in Manurewa,” said MPI’s Manager Surveillance and Incursion Investigation, Brendan Gould.

The find of this single fly demonstrates how well MPI’s lure-based surveillance trapping network is working. The network involves some 7600 traps set nationwide which are checked regularly.Controls are in place to restrict the movement of some fruit/vegetables outside of a defined circular area extending 1.5km from where the fly was trapped.

“These flies like to feed on pumpkins, melons, cucumbers, capsicum, zucchini, beans, mangoes, eggplant, papaya and passionfruit. A full list of affected fruit and vegetables is available on MPI’s website. We’re asking people in the area to not move these off their property except to put them in the disposal bins provided.

“Tomorrow (Sunday 24 January) the Farmers Market, Cnr Northcrest Way and Maich Rd, Manurewa will be running as usual but there will be restrictions in place on the movement of fruit and veg that the Tau fly feeds on. The public are asked to look out for information that will be available at the market and MPI and AQ staff will also be there to provide advice.”“We appreciate that restrictions can be inconvenient but public support is vital to success and we’ve always had terrific community buy-in,” said Mr Gould.

To find out whether your property falls within the Control Area, visit the MPI website www.mpi.govt.nz/tau-fly and enter your street address into their online search function.

If you think you might have seen a Tau fly in your area, please call the Ministry for Primary Industries helpline on 0800 80 99 66.